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connecting an air cooled tig torch to a high frequency arc stabilizer

I want to do aluminum repair work on boats and trailers etc..
Can I do this without a water cooler connected to the arc stabilizer.
I have a basic stick machine and a Hobart 1611 high frequency arc stabilizer.
My air cooled tig torch is good to 150 amps.
I understand that the argon flowing through the torch usually keeps it cooled.
Do I have to connect a cooler to the high frequency unit or will it work ok without the water running through it. Any help is greatly appreciated. I really need to find more work to prevent losing my house. I love this website.

It will run fine without the water cooled torch. In fact with a water cooled torch and high frequency you can have the high frequency travel down the water in the torch and bleed out causing issues, should be using low conductivity coolant anyways with one though.
Save yourself the money and see if your air cooled torch can handle the amps you're running just stick with it.

Only use the water cooled torch with a water cooler filled with coolant. If you run a water cooled torch dry it will almost instantly burn the water line when you weld. The power cable runs down the inside of the water cooler hose.

"City Water" Cooling..

Originally Posted by a12bsmilin

The high frequency unit has both water in and water out connections.
Does this mean that it is water cooled.
It also has gas in and gas out.

It may very well have a solenoid valve for the water... many years ago it was not uncommon for them to use water off the city water main to cool the watercooled torches... so they would just valve that instead of having a separate pump.. and it would just go down the drain after going through the torch..

Take a look at the water cooled versions in this manual... anything look familiar??

BTW .... could you also post the serial number?? it might help us out..

The "city water" cooling option did work.. but in areas with hard water... mineral deposits would end up clogging the torch passages after a while...
Some implementations just had a straight feed through with no solenoid.. you would just turn it on or off at the tap..
Some TIG Welding machines like the Miller 330 & Lincoln Idealarc (early "refrigerator sized") could be had or retrofitted with the city water option..

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The high frequency unit has both water in and water out connections.
Does this mean that it is water cooled.
It also has gas in and gas out.

Pull the cover off. If the water just goes in/out of an electric valve or straight though the unit it is not water cooled as H8ON suggested. If the water lines are attached to or run though other components or are soldered to heat sinks it is likely water cooled and should have water cooling. If it(the arc stabilizer) is not water cooled I would connect the water cooled torch to the torch's cooler unit bypassing the stabilizer unit.---Meltedmetal